Moving Offline Podcast

Join me in this episode as I take you on a journey into the world of automation and its profound impact on our lives. I'll be sharing my personal experiences and insights, drawing intriguing parallels between automating financial well-being and automating our digital behaviors.

Explore the power of automated financial management with me as I discuss strategies for allocating income wisely, breaking free from debt, and building a secure financial future. Discover how automation can lead to financial freedom and peace of mind.

But the conversation doesn't stop there. I'll also delve into the digital realm, revealing how to harness automation to regain control over our digital lives. From router automation to smartphone habits and DNS services, you'll uncover practical tips to reduce screen time, minimize distractions, and create space for offline experiences.

I'll underscore the importance of striking a balance between our online and offline worlds. Learn how automation can help you prioritize cherished activities, connect with loved ones, and savor life's simple pleasures without being tethered to screens.

This episode offers valuable insights and actionable strategies from my own journey for automating a more balanced and fulfilling life. Tune in now to gain a deeper understanding of automation's role in creating a life that aligns with your passions and values.

Description

Welcome to another episode of Moving Offline, where we delve into the exciting world of digital disconnection and the perks of using non-smartphones. I'm Jose Briones, your host, and today I'm joined by Will from Dumbwireless. Will is here to share his personal story and insights from running a company that's all about helping people disconnect by offering non-smartphones.

Will opens up about what motivated him to start Dumbwireless. He saw a gap in the market for a comprehensive service aimed at those wanting to break free from their reliance on smartphones. His own wake-up call about the negative effects of smartphone addiction was a key driver behind the company's inception. He walks us through how they select devices at Dumbwireless, focusing on customer needs and organizing in-person events to educate people about the life-changing benefits of non-smartphones.

In our conversation, Will and I cover a range of topics, such as the life-enhancing impact of using non-smartphones, our personal choices in devices, and the liberating effects of stepping away from addictive tech. Will also shares heartfelt stories from customers who've seen remarkable improvements in their lives after making the switch to non-smartphones.

Don't miss out on this insightful episode if you're curious about the benefits of moving offline and want to learn more about how non-smartphones can positively influence our everyday lives.

Timestamps

0:00:00 Creating a one-stop shop to reduce phone usage.

0:06:21 Not everyone can switch to a non-smartphone.

0:09:35 Startup using guerrilla marketing, online ads, and events.

0:11:11 Review on smartphone options, favoring Light Phone 2.

0:14:52 Seeking real connections over social media distractions.

0:17:57 Disconnecting from constant entertainment leads to happiness.

0:21:28 Helping customers is fulfilling and purposeful.

Introduction

In today's fast-paced digital world, it's easy to get caught up in the constant stream of notifications and distractions that our smartphones and devices bring. However, finding a balance between the online and offline worlds is crucial for our overall well-being. In this article, we'll explore a simple yet effective methodology I’ve found helpful over the years that can help you achieve more offline moments in your life. This approach involves three fundamental steps, along with a bonus tip, to disconnect and reconnect with the world around you

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Step 1: List Your Essential Apps and Services

The journey to digital balance begins with identifying the apps and services that are truly essential for your daily life. Start by taking a piece of paper and numbering it from 1 to 10. These ten slots are reserved for apps or services that are not merely convenient but are crucial for your daily functioning.

Consider the tools that enable you to put food on the table, stay connected with loved ones, or add value to your life. For instance, in my list, I rely on email for work communication, WhatsApp for global connections, navigation apps like maps, Libby for audiobooks, messages for quick communication, the phone for essential calls, podcasts for staying informed, music for relaxation, and the calendar for organization. These apps form the backbone of my digital life.

The key here is to be selective and focus on what genuinely adds value to your daily routines. Once you've identified your essential apps and services, you're ready for the next step.

Step 2: Select the Right Devices

Now that you've compiled your list of essential apps and services, it's time to determine which devices you'll use to access them. I suggest adopting a dual-device approach, consisting of a work phone and a personal phone.

Your work phone should be dedicated to professional use, with only the essential work-related apps installed. This clear separation between work and personal devices helps maintain a healthy balance and reduces distractions. When you're not at work, switch to your personal phone, allowing you to enjoy a more focused and disconnected personal time.

Consider which devices align best with your needs and lifestyle. If you find that smartphones are causing excessive distractions, consider opting for a basic phone paired with a dedicated music player or other specialized devices that cater to your specific requirements.

Step 3: Schedule Device Usage

With your essential apps matched to their respective devices, it's time to create a structured schedule for when and how you'll use them. Establishing clear boundaries between your online and offline activities is vital for achieving digital balance.

For example, you can designate certain hours of the day or specific days of the week for online engagement. Likewise, set aside periods of disconnection during your day or week. This deliberate scheduling ensures that you maintain a healthy distinction between your digital and offline life.

By adhering to a well-defined schedule, you regain control over your time and avoid the constant distractions that digital devices can bring.

Bonus Step: Schedule Offline Activities

In addition to scheduling device usage, consider incorporating offline activities into your calendar. This step is where the true transformation happens. Allocate time for activities such as going to the gym, attending sports events, spending quality time with friends without digital distractions, or simply taking peaceful walks in nature.

Hardcoding these offline moments into your schedule reinforces your commitment to prioritizing real-world experiences. Face-to-face interactions with loved ones and friends can deepen your connections and lead to a more fulfilling life.

Conclusion: Achieving Digital Balance

In conclusion, embracing the art of disconnecting and reconnecting is a powerful strategy for achieving balance in your digital life. This methodology of three core steps, along with the bonus tip, empowers you to regain control of your time and invest it where it matters most.

Your digital devices should enhance your life, not dominate it. By engaging in thoughtful conversations with yourself, your partner, or friends about the life you aspire to create, you can embark on a journey to prioritize your offline life and enjoy a more fulfilling everyday experience.

If you found this methodology valuable, consider sharing it with others. By implementing these steps and finding your path to digital balance, you can embrace the beauty of offline moments and lead a more intentional and fulfilling life. Have a great weekend!

Description

In today's episode of Moving Offline, I do a short reflection on the beauty of deceleration. As the world continues to speed up around us, there's a counter-movement gaining momentum: the shift towards slower technologies. Can choosing simplicity over sophistication truly elevate our daily experience?

Links and Resources:

Share your story via audio: https://www.speakpipe.com/dumbphones

Ask your questions: https://formaloo.net/un49c

Podcast Scheduling: https://koalendar.com/e/meet-with-jose-briones

My book: Low Tech Life eBook

Find your device Dumbphone Finder.

Description

Share your story via audio: https://www.speakpipe.com/dumbphones

Ask your questions: https://formaloo.net/un49c

Podcast Scheduling: https://koalendar.com/e/meet-with-jose-briones

Transcript

Happy Monday everyone. Hope that you're having an amazing day. This is going to be a very short podcast. I am now accepting new guests for the Moving Offline podcast. I want to make sure to display a lot of positive and great stories from people and I want to have the ability to do that. And because of that, I have opened up three ways to do so. The first one is a SpeakPipe where you can share your story and I'll be featuring it in my hopefully weekly podcast now that I start in the summer. Now there will be some solo podcasts for myself and also you can submit it in writing.

So if you have a question about productivity, digital, minimalism, and you want my advice or ideas that I can gather from the internet that may help you, then make sure to put them in the correct place. So if you want to do text, there's a SurveyMonkey. If you want to do it spoken, there's a speak pipe kind of apps that allow you to do so. And if you want to come on the show but don't have a lot of time, I also have a way to do it asynchronously so we don't have to do it on the same time, and I also have a way to record it synchronously. If you want to sit down with me for 30 minutes and then we can talk about your experience and display some of this stuff from the podcast to different listeners, wherever you're listening. So just a small note, check out the resources in the description of this podcast and in the email that accompanies it. And thank you for listening. Hope you have a great rest of your week.

Be productive, be in the mindset, and always remember to make a plan in order to achieve your goals. Thank you for listening to this little podcast. Have great day.

Buy the book here: The future is analog.

Transcript

 Today I have a short podcast where I would like to speak to you about digital fatigue. Digital fatigue is the reality that you don't want to go to the zoom meeting, you don't want to check your email. Again, you feel like your phone is overwhelming you. It's just the reality in which we live in a post-pandemic world, but it doesn't have to be so.

So today I'm going to share two things that you can do to reduce your digital fatigue. Every day this digital fatigue is felt throughout your day. You feel fogginess in your brain. You don't feel like you can escape the content creation cycle, having to check with your loved ones on WhatsApp, or Signal or iMessage, whatever online platform.

You don't have peace because you are constantly pinged again and again and again. It's a terrible feeling, but we don't have to live in digital prison all the time. The first thing that I want to encourage you to do is to eat your meals without your phone or without any other device. We have gotten conditioned to fill our every single empty space with the digital entertainment of the platforms online.

So let it be Twitter, let it be Netflix, let it be catching up with friends and. But we need to do more things just by ourselves or even have a conversation with a coworker. But that doesn't involve any phones, and it doesn't involve work. It's just a conversation. Human to human, maybe with a loved one. If you can with your spouse or with your girlfriend or boyfriend or anyone.

That is very important in your life. You can sit down, go to a restaurant and not have to look at your phones, but just look at each other, and have a conversation. And enjoy the meal. We have gotten used to this exploitation and ability to be overwhelmed all the time by the digital pleasures of the world, that we forget that we need time just to be with ourselves, and enjoy the meal that is in front of us, and that's it.

So I want to encourage you to do that, to go about your day every day and every time you have a meal, just to enjoy the. Or even enjoy a meal with somebody else without any kind of device interruption. That's the first thing. The second thing that I wanna say is go and intentionally plan time throughout your day.

Maybe 30 minutes, maybe even 15 minutes to take a walk. So we are in front of computers. Maybe you work and you do content creation and social media scheduling. Maybe you are also doing a lot of other things, email or whatever it is, whatever assignments you have if you're in school. You need time where you can just walk and be bored.

That is very important. It's another thing that could contribute to reducing the digital fatigue. Instead of being in front of devices and computers, you engage with nature. You take a walk with your dog. Or maybe I walk with your cat. If your cat is one of those that can be walked, whatever it is, just take time today and every day to go on a walk.

Do not take any device. Do not listen to a podcast. No, it's just you and your thoughts. And that can be weird in the beginning, but it gets better over time. If you want to connect with another human being during this time, maybe go to a park and just tell the person, Hey, just leave your phone in the car.

We're just gonna go for a walk and let's just talk. And that way you have meaningful interactions that are analog. We are made for those interactions with people, and we have. Forgotten about it. So it's very important for us to have it. So there you have it. Two suggestions that I have for you today. Eat your meals by yourself or with somebody else, but with no devices.

And go on a walk for 15 minutes a day. It's just a start. It doesn't have to be two, three hours a day of walking or having a meal for an hour. No. Just enjoy what you have and reduce that digital fatigue. If you wanna learn more about this concept, I'm going to point you to a book that I've been listening to since yesterday.

It's called The Future is Analog by David Sax, and it's just a book that I enjoy and I really love because he's explaining this concept of digital fatigue with different words. Of course, not with the exact term, but this, this idea that the future is going. Forward without the digital world, and we are re-engaging with other people and that the digital world is still gonna be here, but it's not going to be the only thing that controls our every moment of attention, but that there are other things that are coming and that are better suited for how we work as human beings.

So the future of. Is Analog by David Sachs is an excellent book. Read it, listen to it, or whatever you prefer. It's an excellent book. I'll put um, a link in the show notes or in the email if you're receiving this as a newsletter. And again, thank you for your support. Thank you for listening. Hopefully, these two suggestions will help you reduce that digital fatigue and will help you live a better life.

Thank you for listening. I'll see you in the next podcast.

We restart our podcast with a short thought and encouragement to take a break :)

This is a preview of my upcoming book, Digital Balance: Finding Your Path Towards Digital Minimalism. Enjoy :)